IMC Insider

The first graduate program in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) was pioneered at Northwestern University’s Medill School. IMC is being implemented at top corporations and agencies across the country and around the world. Defined as the integrated management of all communications to build positive and lasting relationships with customers and other stakeholders, IMC is a customer-centric, data-driven approach to marketing and branding that stresses communicating to consumers through multiple forms of media and technology.

If you don’t get it, I’m going to share an effective example of integrated marketing communications in real world case to help you better understand what IMC is.

China Central Television, China's　largest　broadcaster, had an excellent integrated marketing program for its advertisement auction. Its marketing strategy included a clear and coordinated set of core messages that carry a cohesive and integrated theme through all forms of communications.

For example, on the public relations side, it held symposiums which featured its customers who had stories of success to tell concerning their advertisement on CCTV. The symposiums were very persuasive to those who were still wondering. Besides the symposiums, CCTV also held road shows, where Olympic stars and celebrities of CCTV interacted with attendants. Under the celebrity effect, the road shows successfully enhanced the positive image of CCTV being the most efficient and influential electronic medium and strongly conveyed some clear messages to the participants with certain expectations. CCTV, advertising agencies and press companies convened joint forums which featured marketing professionals. Because the addressers were third parties, they projected an unparalleled degree of credibility to attendants. Besides, CCTV is completely owned by the Chinese government, it thus has great impact on media personnel and has an extensive network of almost 300 journalists nationwide. Therefore, it has many newsworthy reports every week on newspapers, and attracts more than 100 reporters from all over the world at the auction site. The extensive journalist’s network made sure that CCTV could communicate news and information of interest about the auction in the most positive light.

On the other hand, CCTV’s IMC program also encompassed events such as advertising, packaging, new media and other marketing communications vehicles: brochures, print and banner ads, press releases, direct mail, to name a few.

Through all these integrated strategies, the result was very impressive. The total bidding on CCTV has increased 16 % to 21 million this year. Therefore, I consider CCTV to have a successful, integrated marketing program.

In contrast, Euro Disneyland had an ineffective integrated marketing communications program when it opened in the early 1990’s. Although it had a comprehensive marcom program: new web site, prints, collaterals, advertising and public relations programs, it just ignored the fact that the core idea of IMC is to satisfy clients’ needs. On top of that, Euro Disneyland had made a series of cross-cultural gaffes that reduced much of the consumer goodwill. For example, it developed wrong marketing efforts, which emphasized the grand size and scope of the project, an issue which played well to an American or Japanese visitor but left the Europeans largely indifferent. Furthermore, the alcohol-free policy, the admission costs--running some 30 percent higher than a Disney World ticket back in the States, and the American-style fast food restaurants all helped discourage European visitors.
As the result, Euro Disneyland faced bankruptcy with losses of FFr 5 billion and debts of over FFr 21 billion. Consequently, without a thorough analysis of consumers’ true demands in every aspect, any marketing program is not an effective integrated marketing communications program.

Learn more about IMC, visit http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/imc/ now!